Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

The building and facilities are very clean and the few staff members we encountered were very friendly. I was extremely impressed and awe-struck with the preserved squid in one of their exhibits. Many of the aquariums and enclosures were very impressive (especially the otter one), however, I struggled to enjoy the trip in its entirety. During my walk, I found 2 separate fish with kinked bodies, 2 others with markings on their bodies (unsure of what it could be, but it was not a pattern of the fish), 2 bloated Royal Gammas, an axolotl missing a foot, and a dead crab. I was very, very disappointed in seeing this. I can understand if some of the fish were rescues or were being treated or are living with disabilities, I’m sure it’s not easy feat caring for such a wide variety of animals, but there were no signs/plaques explaining if this is the case, so I have no way of knowing. They had some beautiful murals and a decent gift shop, but then had a couple areas of shallow water that looked like sewage and had garbage - I’m unsure what these pools were, but one had a sign for “Mosquito Fish” however there was nothing there. To get to the second part of the building, you need to cross the parking lot, walking a tiny bit down the street and cross it. This second building is where they have their rescued turtles. It was very surreal to see them so close! The gift shop in this building was closed the day we went, but it looked decent through the windows. A good benefit of the area is that another spot called “Save the Seabirds” shares the parking lot with them and offers free admission to see their rescued Florida birds, so don’t miss out on this spot! Overall, I sincerely hope they do good work and contribute to wildlife welfare. All the employees seemed knowledgeable and kind, but I saw many health issues and I believe there should be some kind of communication of what is happening to alleviate concern/stress on those that visit this aquarium or more thorough/frequent checks of the animals.

This was our first time and the kids loved it. The staff are so friendly and informative. There are volunteers helping to teach about the exhibits and animals. The restrooms are clean, and there is ample signage. We would love to come back!

We had an amazing time at the aquarium! Though the $100 entry fee for 2 adults and 2 kids on a Sunday was a bit pricey, it was definitely worth it for the experience. We ended up spending an additional $80 inside, but the kids had a blast, and it was great to see them so engaged with all the exhibits. The animals were incredible, and there were so many interactive displays that kept them entertained for hours. Parking was surprisingly easy, but I do recommend staying vigilant as drivers in the lot can be a bit reckless—make sure to hold your kids' hands while walking around! Overall, it was a fantastic day, and we're already looking forward to our next visit! Highly recommend for families, just be prepared for the costs!

This is one of my favorite aquariums in the area. The highlights for me are the open shark tank, manatees, otters and sea turtles. They feature a few touch tanks which are a hit with kids. Make reservations ahead of time.

Great experience at Mote! If you love marine life you will love this place. Volunteers were very knowledgeable about the animals. Answered lots of questions and gave great info! Place was clean and everyone was nice. Learned alot. Will definitely be back.

Was so excited to see manatees and was a bit disappointed that there was only one swimming in such a small pool. No otters were out. The aquarium part was nice and I enjoyed it, even as an adult. Bird area was ok.

Came here after getting the recommendation from a friend back home in the Midwest. We are glad we came. It was very cool seeing the different species of sea life. Everything was very organized and traffic really flowed smoothly through the exhibits! Definitely recommend buying tickets before hand. As we needed to wait an hour until our 11am tour time

My boyfriend came here with his family a few years ago and we decided to come back together! This aquarium and laboratory was built off of a wonderful beginning and it's so lovely to see how they're still educating and displaying how beautiful our ocean is along with its inhabitants. We went to both buildings those being the main aquarium and laboratory and the marine mammal center. It is from what I noticed mostly volunteers here and biologists which is an interesting dynamic. We were also so excited to see Lou the manatee who transferred here from Walt Disney World!!! This place deserves it's flowers and we can't wait to come back once they build their new space. Support this place so they can keep sharing knowledge!